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A zap from a laser could make bigger quantum computers possible

Zapping qubits with lasers or microwaves keeps their entanglement intact

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By Michael Brooks

If your quantum computer starts to go awry, just give it a high-energy kick. Perfectly timed energy pulses could beat the information-destroying effects of a quantum computer’s environment, according to studies published by two groups.

Making these machines run algorithms that outperform classical computers will involve using millions of qubits, subatomic structures that maintain delicate quantum superpositions and entanglement states to process information. Unlike a traditional computing bit, which is either in the position of a 0 or 1, qubits can be a mixture of …